Best management practices matter!

A headline article in the May 29, 2014 issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy confirms that donors are willing to invest more in to nonprofit organizations able to demonstrate best management and governance practices. Specifically, the study analyzes fundraising success of accredited nonprofits vs. non-accredited nonprofits.

Three university business professors compared 102 fully accredited nonprofits with the same number of unaccredited organizations. The study, released last month, found that the accredited nonprofits raised a median $286,589 in the year they applied for accreditation, and that figure rose to $323,754 during the first year they were accredited. The median donation to the uncertified organizations declined over the same period. A complete copy of the article is available here.

While applying for accreditation can be costly, it costs nothing to ensure your nonprofit organization is employing best practices and implementing processes that meet accreditation standards. Don’t know where to start? Attend one of Spokes’ monthly “Best Practices in Nonprofit Governance” classes to learn more about accreditation standards and how Spokes can help you strengthen your operations to secure more donor support! Spokes members may also login to our members-only website to download the Standards for Excellence Organizational Assessment and editable templates for key operational policies.

Member Testimonial

Spokes help has been transformative for the Garden in many areas, ranging from budgets, operations, policies and procedures, and long-term vision, just to name a few. The impact of SPOKES has been HUGE, and having a Spokes interim Executive Director was lifesaving. Personally, Spokes has made my work at the Garden so much more organized, less stressful , and hopeful for future success.”